What Color Blue would this be ?

[Skydog]

Seeing this on eBay; says is a '72; says exterior was repainted (which of course could mean anything). Could even mean it was painted outside the U.S. - seemingly in Mexico.

But let's assume this truck was repainted with a Toyota paint color of that approx era. What then color would this be ?? - - The only ones I know of would be 1) Capri blue 2) Horizon blue 3) Horizontal blue 4) Scanda blue 5) Gleam blue. ... And my best guess for this would be Gleam blue ? (Am I off key by having a hard time picturing it as any of the others... ??).

~Skydog

 

[thebigredrocker]

I'm gunna guess Capri.

@73FJ40

 

[73FJ40]

I've researched this more than a little. Based upon yours being a '72 model, I would be fairly certain the original color was T-808, "horizontal blue". A number of us believe 'horizontal' was a translation error from Japanese.

My experience is that given different cameras and lighting conditions, it's impossible to differentiate between these light blue colors on this website

Attached is a picture of the three blues in discussion (horizontal, gleam, and a very close approximation of Capri) that I took all at the same time in sunlight.

Thought I'd update this thread, since I got the paint color I decided on from here (splib,Jul 24, 2012 post #13)

Well, the results are in from my paint search. I took this picture the same day the samples were mixed, in direct sunlight so as to be most representative of the relative differences.

The hinge is from my '73 FJ40 rear hatch, hidden from sunlight for most of its 42 year life. The swatch next to it is R-M file color for 808 Horizontal Blue. Given the aged paint vs. the new paint sample, I'm certain my '73 is originally horizontal blue.

The upper right is Blue Gleam 1749, represented as an official Toyota color for the 1973 time frame. My FJ40 is definitely not that color.

The bottom right is a standard R-M color, "SB015.00", which was posted by splib as noted above. It's clearly a contender for Capri Blue 310.

While not officially "Capri Blue", it is definitely has more of a gray tinge than the horizontal blue.

Apparently, even having original formulations for paint colors from 40 years ago doesn't mean they'll be 'on file' with current paint manufacturers for their entire range of paint qualities. Blue Gleam was available in various grades of paint, Horizontal Blue only in the econo line of R-M paint, while the SB015.00 was available in the mid- to high-grade products.

I'll be using the SB015.00 in a single stage urethane, no clear-coat. Multiple coats, wet sand out any orange peel, easy to maintain.

Here is another thread that suggests horizontal blue as well:

Hello! I am new to the community, and I just bought this 1973 FJ40.

First of all, I can't find the original paint color code. I tried running the VIN on a few websites, and nothing came up. (Vin is FJ401482914). Anyone know where I can find the original paint color?

Also, it NEEDS new brakes. And there are also a lot of small things I'd like to replace. (Hood latches, window lining rubber, dashboard pads, etc.) Where should I get various parts for it? Any good websites to order stuff, that you know of?

Thanks in advance! I've never owned a LandCruiser before, I just don't know where to go for all of this.

 

[Rigger]

A number of us believe 'horizontal' was a translation error from Japanese.

By this, can I assume you think that Horizontal Blue was an incorrect translation, and Horizon Blue is the correct translation?

 

[allan man]

 

[73FJ40]

By this, can I assume you think that Horizontal Blue was an incorrect translation, and Horizon Blue is the correct translation?

Yes, I personally would be included in the "us" that "believe". Doesn't it make sense? Plus, since 'horizontal' wasn't misspelled, who would challenge the name?

Note that most of the color adjectives on the paint chip chart above tie back to natural features: Sundune, Niagara, Volcanic, Sulfur, Carnival, Spring, etc. etc. Horizon would fit in.

Horizontal blue makes me think of a cyanotic body, lying on the ground after suffering a fatal heart attack.

Also to substantiate this belief, I've received a number of OEM parts with misspelled parts names. Note that i'm not complaining, since I am well aware that Toyota's English is much, much better than my Japanese!

 

[Skydog]

Based on @73FJ40's test image above, the blue color swath in the upper right seems to most closely match to the color of the '72 vehicle I'd posted at the top of this thread. --- AHHHHHHHHHHH !!! .... It has written next to it in pencil, "Gleam" !!!

I'm (somewhat) disagreeing with @thebigredrocker, in that, I've always considered Capri blue a bit more grayish in its hue.

However, pretty much *ALL* of these Toyota blues are seeming (to me) to be merely "baby blue" or "robin's egg blue." ... Why did Toyota do this with such a fine level of variation ?? (knowing that all of these such colors will each fade in the UV sunlight to about the same shade of washed-out light blue) ... Of all colors in the spectrum of colors, why did Toyota have a whole slew of them (baby-ish blue) that are soooo similar, within such a short period of time ??

Regarding 'Horizontal' blue vs 'Horizon' blue. ... Like most all of us here, I'm simply here to learn. But the rig-color that so many of us like (pictured above) is distinctly called 'Horizon' blue. The owner wrote that when tying to sell it, whenever that was. And although the paint chip charts, that we're seeing here on the Internet, call-out 'Horizontal' blue (and I've not yet seen it called 'Horizon' blue), I've only seen ONE vehicle painted 'Horizontal' blue. I am also agreeing there was very likely a translation error between Japanese & English. The words are too similar, and the error makes sense to me. - - If Toyota had called one of their long-standing colors 'Sky' blue, I'd think the name 'Horizon' blue would make most sense, logically. Hence, the word, 'Horizontal' is not naturally an accurate description of color (of any type).

HOWEVER (that I've previously found) : if 'Horizontal' blue is T808 - - then, 'Horizon' blue is distinctly T1208, and its PPG number is 99157.

This '71 Corolla, in this back-in-the-day Toyota ad, is Gleam blue (not at all a '40-Series color). It's just that Gleam blue had almost no "grayish" sense to it. Rather, it was more of a pure "whitish" blue (and that's what I initially sensed in the FJ40 at the top of this thread) :

~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

@73FJ40 wrote : "Horizontal blue makes me think of a cyanotic body, lying on the ground after suffering a fatal heart attack."

... LOL !!!

 

[brian]

sure is a nice looking cruiser

 

[tls3601]

Wasn't there a Sky Blue at one time as an OEM color for Toyota? It reminds me of that

 

[Skydog]

Wasn't there a Sky Blue at one time as an OEM color for Toyota? It reminds me of that

Absolutely !!

'Sky Blue' is the same baby-blue concept from Toyota as the others pictured above here in this thread, but merely a bit darker. - - In my own opinion, the Sky Blue color (from Toyota) has absolutely *ZERO* resemblance to ANY natural sky color I've ever seen. How they came up with that name, "Sky Blue," as being a description of its actual hue of color - I've NO Clue !! - - Interestingly, my own '79 FJ40 was originally Sky Blue. Pictured below is not mine. The one below is a '77 :

~Skydog

 

[Old Red]

The photos in the ebay ad clearly contrast the difference between the correct original Toyota interior paint color and the incorrect exterior respray.

But you want to know the name of the incorrect color?

1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 | eBay

 

[Skydog]

The photos in the ebay ad clearly contrast the difference between the correct original Toyota interior paint color and the incorrect exterior respray.

But you want to know the name of the incorrect color?


View attachment 1481720

1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 | eBay

Thank You, @Old Red for sharing this image from that eBay listing !!

I did NOT look through the array of presented pics on that eBay listing, only the first few. Said to myself, "What color is this that they painted on here?" And then I came hopping on over to here, Mud, and made this thread (as obviously to the reader of the eBay listing, the car sales person selling this '40 doesn't actually know). The sales person had even written, "an exterior repaint" - but stopped short there.

Based on this image, here, that you present to us, that reveals the stark difference between the "repainted" exterior, and the very likely original interior color - I will now be quick to say "that interior color is Capri Blue." ( @thebigredrocker ). - - But Yes !!... I sure would like to know what us here, on this board, believe that exterior color is or might be, that was painted onto this FJ40. And now that we see what is very likely Capri blue next to this exterior color, if the exterior color is actually a Toyota color, of that era, might it then be Gleam blue ?? - - Or, what would you think ?? (in honest, it doesn't overly matter to me - I simply want to learn). ~Skydog

 

[Old Red]

All the guessing in the world will not answer your question, skydog. It's pure conjecture.

 

[73FJ40]

I suspect the slight color variations (and their names) are driven by marketing folks, trying to stay in competition with other manufacturers. Nebula green, anyone?

It could also be a result of changes in paint formulations, or different paint manufacturers.

Also, if you look at skydog's repost of my test image, above, you see that the BASF test sheet has four different shades of primer, from white to black. Even the primer has some effect on color variation.

I've also noticed some folks here pick a color name and call their blue that color, without any real evidence that it really is original.

Finally, pictures taken by different cameras in different lighting often don't look the same. That's why my test image was taken on the same photo, in daylight, even though there were some high clouds altering the sunlight a little, at least relative to each other you can perceive a difference. Top right, gleam blue, hinge, horizontal blue, lower right "R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 in a single stage urethane.

Now look at the following three pictures:

(splib,Jul 24, 2012 post #13) R-M (BASF) color SB015.00

R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 (cell phone pic with flash) (mine, taken a few days ago.)

R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 (cell phone pic with LED daylight shop lights) (mine, taken a few days ago.)

The preceding three pictures have the same exact paint but with two different cameras in three different lighting conditions.

In person, mine looks like the first picture.

Go figure!

 

[Skydog]

I suspect the slight color variations (and their names) are driven by marketing folks, trying to stay in competition with other manufacturers. Nebula green, anyone?

It could also be a result of changes in paint formulations, or different paint manufacturers.

Also, if you look at skydog's repost of my test image, above, you see that the BASF test sheet has four different shades of primer, from white to black. Even the primer has some effect on color variation.

I've also noticed some folks here pick a color name and call their blue that color, without any real evidence that it really is original.

Finally, pictures taken by different cameras in different lighting often don't look the same. That's why my test image was taken on the same photo, in daylight, even though there were some high clouds altering the sunlight a little, at least relative to each other you can perceive a difference. Top right, gleam blue, hinge, horizontal blue, lower right "R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 in a single stage urethane.

Now look at the following two pictures:

(splib,Jul 24, 2012 post #13) R-M (BASF) color SB015.00

R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 (cell phone pic with flash) (mine, taken a few days ago.)
View attachment 1481738

R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 (cell phone pic with LED daylight shop lights) (mine, taken a few days ago.)
View attachment 1481823

The preceding three pictures have the same exact paint but with two different cameras in three different lighting conditions.

In person, mine looks like the first picture.

Go figure!

@73FJ40 : I am in full agreement with each one of your sentences here. Your thoughts here are mine as well. Also, I'm a pro photog - and know intimately what you speak of regarding reflective lighting. Totally agree with you. And add-in the effect of the sun's UV degradation upon the older paint of our '40's. It doesn't take long that "all bets are off."

Regarding this pic of @FF LC FREAK 's '71 Cruiser & Most Beautiful wife : this pic is & has been my All-Time Fave on this board. There IS NO BETTER Cruiser pic here or anywhere else. Period. @FF LC FREAK already knows I feel this way about this pic of his - It's PERFECT !! in every way.

~Marc

 

[Skydog]

All the guessing in the world will not answer your question, skydog. It's pure conjecture.

I must agree. The color of exterior blue, on that '72 pictured at the top of this thread, could easily be a nameless hue of color. The point of this thread has therefore become moot. Thanks !! ~Marc

 

[Skydog]

I suspect the slight color variations (and their names) are driven by marketing folks, trying to stay in competition with other manufacturers. Nebula green, anyone?

It could also be a result of changes in paint formulations, or different paint manufacturers.

Also, if you look at skydog's repost of my test image, above, you see that the BASF test sheet has four different shades of primer, from white to black. Even the primer has some effect on color variation.

I've also noticed some folks here pick a color name and call their blue that color, without any real evidence that it really is original.

Finally, pictures taken by different cameras in different lighting often don't look the same. That's why my test image was taken on the same photo, in daylight, even though there were some high clouds altering the sunlight a little, at least relative to each other you can perceive a difference. Top right, gleam blue, hinge, horizontal blue, lower right "R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 in a single stage urethane.

Now look at the following two pictures:

(splib,Jul 24, 2012 post #13) R-M (BASF) color SB015.00

R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 (cell phone pic with flash) (mine, taken a few days ago.)
View attachment 1481738

R-M (BASF) color SB015.00 (cell phone pic with LED daylight shop lights) (mine, taken a few days ago.)
View attachment 1481823

The preceding three pictures have the same exact paint but with two different cameras in three different lighting conditions.

In person, mine looks like the first picture.

Go figure!

@73FJ40 : Your rig is destined to become Beautiful !!

 

[tls3601]

@Skydog I love the "Sky Blue" thanks for the pictures

 

[Skydog]

@Skydog I love the "Sky Blue" thanks for the pictures

I'm not at all against any one of these colors. I'm heavily intrigued by color, but am basically neutral to all colors, equally, across the board. To me, a color is merely a color, and has little or no meaning. But when one color is placed with a second color, or multiple other colors, that's where the beauty of the overall is able to begin. For instance, the actual 'Sky Blue' color combined with Cygnus White & the various blacks & grays of the rest of the vehicle; when combined, tastefully, that's when the real charm of such a vehicle comes alive. We are all aware of this. - - And typically, the more simple the combo of colors (fewer colors to create a whole, and opposite of busy); and if the resulting combo is still effective, that's where the artistry of the overall (house, car, airplane, whatever) comes into play !! ~Skydog